“They have been friends a long time. I believe they were schoolmates together. That is why Merriwell sticks by Hodge as he does. He’s a chap who will never turn his back on old friends, no matter what they may do.” Vance grinned. “I’ll bet the time will come when Frank Merriwell will turn his back on Bart Hodge,” he declared. “I do not understand what reason you have for thinking that.” “I suppose not.” “Explain.” “I can’t. It’s a sort of feeling I have, that’s all.” “Well, I wouldn’t advise you to bank much on that feeling. It will fool you. You feel that way because you hate Hodge. I don’t wonder you hate him, but, take my advice and let him alone. He is a dangerous fellow.” “Thank you for the advice. He isn’t half as dangerous as you think, Garland. In fact, I regard him as perfectly harmless.” “That eye doesn’t proclaim him to be. He must have given you that in short order. There was a squall from Stanley, and I rushed to see what had happened. Heard a heavy fall, and you were picking yourself up when I arrived on the scene, while Hodge was gone.” “That’s it!” growled Vance. “He didn’t stay to face me! He took to his heels, like the sneak he is!” “I hardly think he ran away.” “I don’t care what you think; he did run away, just the same, and I’ll bet he’ll take care not to meet me again.” “He’ll have to meet you.” “Perhaps not.” “Of course, he will. You are both in the same company, and you have business with each other in the play.” “All the same, I don’t think Bart Hodge will dare meet me again,” boasted Vance. Garland turned away with an impatient gesture. He did not like Hodge, but the seeming conceit of Vance was too much for him. Vance saw the look on Garland’s face, and it cut him somewhat. He longed to tell Granville something more and he opened his lips to do so, but prudence bade him keep still, and so he did not speak. With Hodge lacking, the rehearsal went on as well as possible, special attention being given to the specialties. Frank was restless and nervous. He longed to go in search of Bart, for he fancied it was possible the hot-headed fellow had cooled down enough to listen to reason. He observed Vance was swaggering around in a rather remarkable manner under the circumstances. “I wonder if he saw anything of Bart?” thought Frank. Merry did not like Vance, but he resolved to question him, and so he asked him if he had seen Hodge; doing so quietly in order not to attract attention. “Yes,” answered Lester, speaking loudly, “I saw Hodge at the hotel. He was coming out of your room, too.” “Coming out of my room?” questioned Frank, lifting his eyebrows. “Yes, sir.” “Where did he go?” “I don’t know.” Frank did not question the fellow any more concerning Bart. Just then, Lester, who was looking down at his left hand, as if examining his finger nail, gave a start, exclaiming: “That’s queer!” “What is queer?” asked Frank. “My ring is gone.” “Perhaps you left it somewhere.”